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REGINA — By the end of the month, SaskPower will be producing another 23 megawatts (MW) of wind power from the Morse area, where Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. is putting the finishing touches on its independent wind power project.

SaskPower recently completed work on a 14 km transmission line and substation in southwestern Saskatchewan to put the wind power on the grid, the Crown corporation said in a press release Tuesday.

The $81-million wind power project will produce an average of 104 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually — enough energy to power 8,000 to 9,000 homes and businesses.

When completed, the Morse project will add to the 25 per cent of Saskatchewan’s power production that comes from renewable sources, said Guy Bruce, SaskPower’s vice-president of resource planning. “By 2020, we forecast that 10 per cent of our capacity will be from wind and we are working to make that number go even higher.”

Construction on the Morse wind facility in Saskatchewan began in early August with foundation and access road work. Delivery and installation of the 10 Siemens turbines commenced in January, with commercial operation of the facility expected by the end of March.

Morse is one of three wind projects in Saskatchewan where Algonquin has partnered with SaskPower. Algonquin has a 75 per cent stake in the $69-million Red Lily wind farm near Moosomin, a 26.4 MW project using 16 Vestas turbines completed in 2011.

The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2016. Toronto-based Algonquin owns seven operating wind farms across North America.

Increasing the use of wind energy in Saskatchewan will help provide competitive, stable prices, while reducing emissions and diversifying the province’s electricity supply, said Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

“Wind energy has rapidly become one of the lowest cost options for new electricity generation, and we applaud SaskPower’s efforts to take advantage of its world-class wind resource,” Hornung said in a statement.

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society also praised SaskPower’s efforts to expand its wind power capacity. “They’re starting to move in the right direction,’’ said Peter Prebble, director of environmental policy for the society. “We’d like to see them go further.’’

Prebble noted that U.S. states, like South Dakota and Iowa, are generating 25 per cent of their power from wind.

“Southern Saskatchewan has an excellent wind regime and the economics of wind power are attractive,’’ Prebble said. “Over the course of the next decade, wind power could readily be increased to 20 per cent of total electricity production in Saskatchewan.”

Reasons why the Bank of Canada will keep interest rates low

The Bank of Canada announced on September 3rd, 2014 that it was holding its trend-setting overnight lending rate at 1 per cent.

The overnight rate has not moved in four years. It’s likely that it will remain where it is for some time yet. Why?

1) Inflation is on target -- Inflation recently increased and is tracking close to the Bank’s 2 per cent target. However, the Bank believes the increase reflects temporary factors and cited evidence in support of this in its policy rate announcement. As a result, it does not see interest rate hikes as being necessary to rein it in. Instead, the Bank thinks inflation will keep itself in check as temporary factors dissipate.2) Uncertainty remains high -- While the U.S. economic recovery appears to be back on track after a dismal first quarter, European economic growth has faltered due in part to its trade sanctions with Russia. This means low interest rates are still needed to support Canadian economic growth while questions marks loom about the outlooks for global economic growth, demand for Canadian exports, and Canadian economic growth. 3) Canadian exports need help from the currency exchange rate -- The Bank rate announcement noted that “Canadian exports surged in the second quarter”. The reasons cited were strengthening U.S. investment and “the past depreciation of the Canadian dollar”. Hiking interest rates too soon would result in a stronger loonie and dampened Canadian exports. The Bank is counting on stronger exports to lift business investment and economic growth. 4) Higher exports have not yet translated into stronger investment or hiring-- The Bank was pleased to see the pickup in exports but noted, “While an increasing number of export sectors appear to be turning the corner toward recovery, this pickup will need to be sustained before it will translate into higher business investment and hiring.” As such, interest rates will need to remain stimulative in order to entice firms into increased investment and hiring even if exports remain strong.

With these reasons in mind, interest rates are unlikely to rise in the near future.

One notable change in language in the September 3rd announcement was the removal of any references to a soft landing in the housing market. This Bank said that the housing market has in fact remained stronger than previously anticipated and that risks associated with household imbalances have “not diminished”.

That said, it is possible that stronger U.S. growth, a surge in exports, and the current strength of the housing market could all reflect a rebound from weak performances this past winter, which was unusually harsh.

As such, the Bank said that it remains “neutral with respect to the next change of its policy rate”, and will wait for new information as regards their outlook and assessment of risks to economic growth and inflation.

As of September 3rd, 2014, the advertised five-year lending rate stood at 4.79 per cent, unchanged from the previous Bank rate announcement on July 16th, 2014 and down 0.55 percentage points from the same time one year ago.

The next interest rate announcement will be on October 22nd, 2014, and will be accompanied by an update to the Monetary Policy Report which contains the Bank’s outlook for the economy and inflation, risks to its economic projections, and an update to its estimate for potential Canadian economic growth.

Husky Energy project a go in Edam, Vawn

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

A strong economic boost is coming to the Northwest with the news that Husky Energy is going ahead with two new heavy oil thermal projects in the area.

The projects are the 10,000 barrels/day Edam East project and the 10,000 barrels/day Vawn project. The company said in a news release Jan. 9 that engineering is underway and construction is scheduled to happen later this year.

Mel Duvall, manager of media at Husky Energy, Inc., said some job creation can be expected with the two projects.

Both projects are to be completed in 2016 and will "create 20 full-time jobs, so 40 between the two," said Duvall.

Some additional support jobs are expected to be created as well.

During construction, it is expected "each plant will peak at around 400, but we'll never have 800 people there at one time. We'll be staggering the work between the two plants so we won't have that many people out there."

The plan is for the finished projects to use thermal energy to bring oil up from under the ground.

He describes it as "very similar to the steam-assisted drainage projects you see going on in the oil sands, except on a small scale."

He says Husky's Sunrise project produces 60,000 barrels per day and using two horizontal wells including a steam feed that heats up the oil. The other is a second well below that uses gravity to pump crude to the surface.

It wouldn't be quite correct to call the technology typical of what they do, Duvall says, as "it's a fairly new technology that we've been able to put to use in the Lloydminster region."

"Most of the production that's been done there has used conventional methods over the years," said Duvall. But, over the last five or six years, "we've really been able to see the benefits of using this thermal technology to get at some of the resources that are there."

The projects in Edam and Vawn follow several other projects in Husky Energy's thermal portfolio. It began in 1981 with the Pikes Peak project that has current production of 4,200 barrels per day.

The Bolney/Celtic project that commenced in 1996 has current production of 16,000. The Rush Lake pilot project in 2011 has current production of 1,500. Paradise Hill in mid-2012 had 5,000 production and Pikes Peak South in mid-2012 had 10,000.

Projects under construction include the Sandall project due in the first half of 2014 with a design rate of 3,500 barrels per day, and the Rush Lake project due for the commercial second half of 2015 at 10,000 barrels per day.

Duvall says the new design for the projects at Edam and Vawn will be based on the design used at Pikes Peak South.

In a statement Jan. 9, Husky Energy CEO Asim Ghosh said, "three years ago, with heavy oil production fighting to remain flat, we implemented a strategy to transform and rejuvenate the business. We are seeing the results of that today."

Ghosh added "steady performance from our existing thermal facilities and these two new plants, along with projects currently under construction at Sandall and Rush Lake, will add another 33,500 barrels per day of new production over the next three years, more than offsetting declines in non-thermal production."

North Battleford city council greeted the Husky Energy projects in Edam and Vawn with enthusiasm at a meeting Monday. Councillor Greg Lightfoot says the announcement will spur on some development in North Battleford.

"The recent announcement by Husky Oil just to the north of us, within half an hour drive, I think will bode well for definitely some commercial and probably some residential projects in the future," said Lightfoot.

The news was also greeted with enthusiasm at the regular meeting of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce board of directors Tuesday. At that meeting, council's representative on the board, Ryan Bater, acknowledged the impact of the new project could be taken into consideration in the official community plan, which is coming back to council this month.

"I don't think that announcement's got nearly as much attention as it deserves," said Bater, who called it a "big project right next door."

He also pointed to the good news announced at council Monday that Walmart was expanding to include a new grocery store.

"I would suggest those kind of things don't happen unless developments like Husky happen," said Bater.

The new Best Western hotel will face Lake Avenue, and will be located between the Canalta Hotel and the Motel 6.

Moosomin town council has approved a building permit for a $9 million, four storey, 98-room Best Western hotel complete with indoor pool. The building permit was issued to Moosomin Investments Ltd.

Town council approved the hotel along with several other building projects at Wednesday's council meeting. In total, the town had more than $11 million worth of building projects on the agenda Wednesday (see related story on page 5).

The hotel will be the third new hotel in Moosomin in the last few years, and will be the largest. Developer Raj Sandhu acquired the option to purchase the block of land from Bata Dorj last fall.

Sandhu was interested in the land two years ago, before Dorj bought it. Dorj had originally had the option to purchase the property to build a "rustic-style" motel on the property. The one-year option to purchase the land was issued in 2010 and expired in 2011, but town council extended the option for an additional year.

In December, town council agreed to give Dorj the right to assign the option to Sandhu. The building site is 1.86 acres and measures 270 feet by 300 feet. It is located immediately east of the Canalta Hotel and immediately west of the Motel 6.

Sandhu also owns Estevan Investments Ltd. and West Fraser Developments, which has built apartment buildings, condos, townhomes and hotels in the Vancouver area, and over the last couple of years has started developing in Saskatchewan.

West Fraser built the 95-room Best Western Plus in Estevan in 2011, and currently has an apartment building under construction in that city. It also has a hotel under construction in Melville. The company now has one year to complete construction of a Best Western in Moosomin.

Mayor Larry Tomlinson said he is happy to see the new hotel go ahead. "I think this is an important development," he said. "I think it's great-it's huge. To be honest, I was a little surprised by the size of the hotel. I hope all three hotels will be busy, but I think there is going to be some more industry attracted to town, which will keep them busy.

"That completes that motel row-there will be three in a row, and I think it will look impressive from the highway, and cause more people to stay in Moosomin."

What does the mayor think is driving development in the town?

"It's partly location," he says. "We're very lucky to be where we are, with the potash and the oil.

"There's a lot happening and there's going to be more happening in the oil. We're kind of central and that's helping us.

"Our hospital is also an attraction for people to live here, and our doctors are doing a great job, which makes our town a good place to live for seniors.

Sandhu couldn't be contacted for comment last week, but said when he purchased the option from Dorj that he based his decision to build in Moosomin on his experience in Estevan. "We have a Best Western Plus in Estevan, and people in the oilfield are telling me there's a lot of activity in the Moosomin area," he said.

He said he believes a Best Western Plus, similar to the property in Estevan, will work well in the Moosomin market.

The construction of a tank farm at the Moosomin compressor station would be a two-year project involving about 150 construction workers at its peak, Moosomin Chamber of Commerce members heard Tuesday.

Construction of the 1.05 million barrel tank farm next to TransCanada’s Moosomin Compressor Station would take place from the beginning of 2016 through the end of 2017.

At the same time, TransCanada would be building a feeder pipeline between the Moosomin Compressor Station and Cromer, Manitoba—just southeast of Kola.

The entire Energy East project is dependent on National Energy Board approval. An application will be submitted to the National Energy Board in 2014.

If the project is approved, the work in this area would be scheduled for just after another major pipeline project, Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Program, which would involve replacing one line in Enbridge’s system across southeastern Saskatchewan. That project would begin in 2015 and continue into 2016.

TransCanada stakeholder relations official Darren Paquin and tank farm project manager Cody Knorr spoke to a full house at the Moosomin Chamber of Commerce meeting Tuesday.Paquin explained how Energy East will fit into TransCanada’s system.

He noted that one of the pipes running through the Moosomin area has already been converted from natural gas to oil as part of the Keystone project—which now carries one-third of Canada’s oil exports to the United States—and a second pipe would be converted as part of Energy East.“Energy East is a 4,400 km project that will move 1.1 million barrels a day of crude oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries in Eastern Canada,” Paquin explained. “Right now, 75 per cent of the oil refined in Eastern Canada is imported. Energy East would link Western Canadian production with eastern refineries.

“We’re looking at a facility north of town that would be a tank terminal. It would definitely create very important and diverse options for producersTransCanada launched its consultation process on Energy East in April, will submit an application to the National Energy Board in 2014, and anticipates regulatory approval in 2015.

Paquin said TransCanada works hard to cause as little environmental impact as possible. “Our ongoing goal is to cause as little disturbance to the environment as possible,” he said. “We adhere to the strictest environmental guidelines, because we want to preserve important natural and cultural features at each step.

“At Hardisty, in preparing for a pipeline project, we found an ancient buffalo pound. We then found pottery and a lot of ancient artifacts that are very rare to the area. We brought in First Nations, and we rerouted that pipeline to a different area to go around those sites.

“We actually do the studies and if something is found, we will go around it.

“We conduct extensive environmental studies, and we collaborate with local communities and aboriginal groups while collecting environmental data, and we re-establish the essential characteristics of land post-construction including equivalent land use.”

He said that Energy East will be one of the most technologically advanced pipelines ever built.“It’ll detect anything you can possibly imagine on this pipeline,” he said.

“There will be safety valves every 30 km. The valves are continuously monitored, and any irregularities we take very seriously, and they will be checked out.”

Knorr, who is project manager in charge of the terminals at Moosomin and Hardisty, explained the Moosomin facility would be a receipt and delivery terminal.

“The facility would receive Cromer crude for injection on the Energy East mainline,” he said. “Product will be delivered via a 16-inch pipeline from the Cromer area.

“The tank terminal will be a new build approximately 200 metres from the existing TransCanada compressor station. We will do everything we can to minimize the footprint and the environmental impact. The new construction will share some of the same utilities as the compressor station—power, water source, etc.

“The facility footprint will be approximately 100 acres, so about two-thirds of a quarter section.“The facility will consist of three 350,000 barrel tanks.

“One of these tanks is 200 feet in diameter and 60 feet high.”

The facility will include a fire protection pond and fire equipment.

Knorr said construction could begin soon after regulatory approval is obtained.

“Assuming regulatory approval in the fourth quarter of 2015, we would see construction start in the first or second quarter of 2016, and the project would be completed and commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2017.

“We would see sustained construction activity from the beginning of 2016 to the end of 2017. Our projected labor requirements would be a peak of 150 people.”

The target in-service date for Energy East is 2017 for delivery to Quebec and 2018 to New Brunswick.

There will be a few permanent jobs at the Moosomin terminal once it is operating.

“There will be operational staff—the number of people I would guess to be five to six people during business hours,” Knorr said.

“We will have some maintenance staff on hand, who will check on the monitors to make sure everything looks good, will walk the facility and will conduct routine maintenance on wearing parts such as pumps and valves.”

TransCanada is also paying attention to security at the site.

“It will be a fenced facility, and we will have closed circuit cameras,” Knorr said. “It’s as secure as we can make it.”

TransCanada officials were in Moosomin last week to provide an update on the Energy East pipeline proposal. Energy East would include a feeder pipeline from Cromer, Manitoba to the Moosomin compressor station, and a tank farm at Moosomin to store crude oil production from the Bakken oilfield.

TransCanada Corp. has taken the first step toward obtaining regulatory approval for its proposed $12-billion, 4,600-kilometre Energy East oil pipeline by filing a project description with the National Energy Board earlier this month.

TransCanada wants to convert 3,000 kilometres of existing natural gas pipeline and build about 1,600 kilometres of new pipeline in Quebec and New Brunswick. It is expected the west-east pipeline would transport 1.1 million barrels a day of crude oil from Alberta to the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John.

Also planned are new pumping stations, oil storage terminals and a joint venture with Irving for a new $300-million deep-water marine terminal.

The Mooosmin area would play a key role in Energy East.

A tank farm would be built next to TransCanada’s Moosomin compressor station northeast of town with the capacity to hold 1,050,000 barrels of oil.

TransCanada would also build a feeder pipeline from Cromer, Manitoba to the Moosomin compressor station, where the Bakken oil would be added to the TransCanada system to be piped to eastern

There would be a handful of permanent jobs at the tank farm, and construction activity related to the Cromer pipeline and the tank farm in 2015 and 2016.

TransCanada spokesman Philippe Canon said the project description is a summary description outlining the formal application which will be submitted in mid-2014.

“The project description is a 140-page document, a brief resume of what we intend to do. In Mid-2014 we will file the actual application. We’re still fine tuning. We’re in the open houses engaging with stakeholders and gathering information.

“We still have to do certain assessments out east, mainly in Quebec and New Brunswick. Generally the route we are going to take is the one that we wish to file to the NEB, but there may be some small changes.”

He said the route of the Cromer pipeline is being finalized after talking with landowners. The route has changed slightly because of the location of oil wells and a water pipe. TransCanada is negotiating easements with landowners along the route, and will purchase land for the tank farm at Moosomin and for a compressor station at Cromer to power the Cromer to Moosomin pipline.

“We’re still in the process of looking at the route and talking to landowners. It’s not an endeavor that is as big as what we are doing out east, but we’re still in the process,” Cannon said. “Much of the job is done, but there are some small things to finish up.”

He said the open houses are an important part of the process.

“We’re always happy to be able to talk about the project to people who have questions,” he said. “It’s an ongoing process. TransCanada is a company that reaches out to its stakeholders.”

The route across the country has been narrowed down based on public consultation and engineering and environmental field work since early in 2013.

TransCanada has held meetings about the project in 500 communities and has met with 5,500 landowners in the six provinces through which the proposed pipeline will run—New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Of the 155 First Nations and Métis communities consulted, TransCanada says 56 have signed letters of agreement so far.

“TransCanada is proud of the relationship we’ve built over the years with 60,000 landowners across North America on our oil and natural gas pipeline network. And we plan to keep that strong relationship with the new landowners on the Energy East pipeline project,” said Cannon.

“Landowners have been and will continue to be informed and consulted. Not only throughout the regulatory process, but also with an open and transparent process throughout the whole project.”

The document filed with the National Energy Board describes the environ-mental assessment process and provides preliminary information about the scope of activities and the process.

If the National Energy Board gives its approval for the project, Cannon expects the pipeline to be in service in late 2018 for deliveries in New Brunswick and earlier that year in Quebec.

Energy East would take shipments of crude oil from two points in Western Canada—Hardisty, Alta. and Moosomin—and ship it to eastern refineries that currently rely on imported oil, and to an export position at St. John, New Brunswick. Western Canadian crude currently sells at a significant discount to the world price because of the lack of export options

Construction is on hold for a pipeline and worker camp which would have brought between 500 and 550 workers to Maple Creek. It was revealed in December 2013 that Alberta-based company OJ Pipelines would be constructing a pipeline close to town and developing a camp and warehouse facility within the town limits. The company had plans to build a pipeline near Maple Creek that would travel south to the U.S. border."Unfortunately that project is on hold. It's all about the States and so forth with regards to if they go ahead with that pipeline," said Town of Maple Creek administrator Michele Schmidt. She noted the company had originally planned to begin work in early spring.The company was to build a warehouse on the north side of the railway tracks along Highway 21 in the industrial park close to pasture land. The worker camp was to be built in the industrial park at Second Avenue North and Jasper Street.

- See more at: http://www.maplecreeknews.com/news/local-news/2548-pipeline-man-camp-on-hold.html#sthash.uxeyzAwD.dpuf

Pipeline construction which will bring a camp of 550 workers to Maple Creek in 2014 was discussed by council at the regular meeting of council on Dec. 10."OJ Pipelines is developing a man camp and a warehouse camp within town limits and that is to house approximately 500 to 550 men," said town administrator Michele Schmidt.The company from Nisku, Alta. will be constructing a pipeline that will be passing close to Maple Creek and heading south to the U.S. border."It's a huge economical spin-off for the town of Maple Creek," she said. The company will build a warehouse located on the north side of the railway tracks along Highway 21 in the industrial park close to pasture land. A worker camp will also be built in the industrial area at Second Avenue North and Jasper Street. The company has plans to start ground disturbance in the new year as leases for the warehouse property expire on Dec. 31.The meeting further revealed the town will receive funding from PDAP in regards to the clean up of the landfill and the compacting of furniture after the 2010 flood. The town will be receiving a payment of $83,907.53. The issue will be brought forward for discussion again at a future council meeting.Schmidt's administrator's report detailed she and Main Street Program co-ordinator Royce Pettyjohn attended a municipal showcase on development and building on Nov. 21 in Swift Current. "This was an opportunity for us to showcase the Town of Maple Creek," said Schmidt. "Royce did an excellent presentation and showed some of the wonderful aspects we have to offer with regards to our community." Participants from Gull Lake and Shaunavon were also at the event, which served to showcase similar communities to developers.The forum was also a chance for municipal staff to seek out developers who may be interested in working on the Cypress Lodge building, which will be vacant when services are moved into the integrated healthcare facility."There are some avenues there that both Royce and I are trying to stay on top of with regards to trying to entice a developer," said Schmidt.Several members of council attended a First Nations-Municipal Community Infrastructure Partnership Program workshop on Dec. 5. Unfortunately representatives from the RM of Maple Creek were unable to attend, but the meeting was attended by members of town council, Nekaneet First Nation and Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge."It was an excellent workshop. It was the first step at building relationships with the Nekaneet and the Healing Lodge" said Schmidt. "Everybody was sitting down in one room and talking about service agreements and how we can work together better.""I think everybody who was there was very impressed," she said."It was very worthwhile, we showed them we really want to work with them," said Councillor Justin McFarlane.A report will be forwarded to participants from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and follow ups completed to see how the participants are progressing with meeting goals.Councilor Tina Cresswell noted she attended the Host Saskatchewan annual conference in Regina Dec. 9 -10."I felt that this was probably one of the most worthwhile conferences that I've been to in a long, long time," she said. "It was exciting. There was a ton of stuff that could help this community." She spoke of the address given by Pat Fiacco, CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan and several of the sessions she attended, like a presentation given by Gregg Sauter of the Roughriders Football Club and Darren Mitchell of Phoenix Group. "They talked about creating a brand and the kinds of decisions, activities and considerations they have for creating a brand and why they made the decisions they did and how it's paying off," said Cresswell. "We know what a good brand the Riders have. We know that green is the colour."The mayor brought to the council table the idea for the town to support Mission Zero, an initiative that is aimed at reducing the number of workplace injuries and hazards. The idea was brought forward during a SUMA meeting where mayor Rudd is a regional director on the board. "I'd like to see us sign up for Mission Zero, it's free," said Mayor Barry Rudd. He spoke of the alarming statistics for workplace injuries in Saskatchewan compared to the remainder of the country. "We need to have a safety program," said Rudd. "The death rate in Saskatchewan is 1.4 times the national average, which is a shocker."In other news, Councillor Ellaine Hawrylak reported on a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce. A bylaw was passed by the chamber to change the name of the group to the Maple Creek and Community Chamber. The move is meant to help attract more rural members to the Chamber of Commerce.Committee reports session of the meeting revealed an arena board fundraiser hockey game with the Consul Rockets to benefit the Southwest Integrated Heathcare Facility to be held on Jan. 3. The game will be at 7:30 p.m. There will be a live and silent auction beforehand with a $2 admission to the game going towards supporting the integrated healthcare facility.Also that evening will be a rink mortgage burning celebration, which will include a barbecue beef on a bun and official ceremony of mortgage burning with a representative of council present. The event will take place from 6-7 p.m. Council proposed donating a family pool pass to the silent auction.Everybody is quite happy with how things are going at the rink, reported Councillor Michelle McKenzie. She noted the arena board's general bank account held $58, 234.76. The Cypress Cyclones hockey club have set dates for their smoker social nights on Dec. 20, Jan. 18 and Feb.1. They will also be hosting their annual fun tournament on Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. followed by a dance at the Elks Hall. There are 17 players in broomball this year , and the figure skating club Christmas carnival will be held on Dec. 17.

- See more at: http://www.maplecreeknews.com/news/local-news/2428-pipeline-company-to-develop-worker-camp-here-in-2014.html#sthash.glHAPCIQ.dpuf

Estevan/Weyburn Region

CarnduffBartlett Safety Services, owned by Daniel and Pamela Bartlett, has opened. The new business offers Red Cross First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) classes as well as doing a mobile drug and alcohol testing service. (Carnduff Gazette Post, February 10, 2012)

EstevanSpectra Credit Union has voted to expand through a merger or partnership to provide province wide services to its members. Spectra is the sixth largest credit union in the province with assets of $700 million and 10 branches in the southeast. The credit union currently employs 160 people. (Estevan Mercury, February 8, 2012)

Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute (SETI) is now open to students. The $14 million facility was recently completed. (Estevan Mercury, February 8, 2012)

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada has opened an office in the city. (Estevan Mercury, February 15, 2012)

RedversThe Town of Redvers is preparing for the fourth annual Redvers & District Oil Showcase scheduled to take place May 10th and 11th, 2012. (Oxbow Herald, February 13, 2012)

Southeast SaskatchewanSaskatchewan South East Enterprise Region (SSEER) is partnering with regional businesses in an effort to recruit workers to the area. SSEER is offering an opportunity for local businesses to attend the National Job Fair in Toronto, Ontario. Businesses can purchase their own booth at a reduced rate or partner with SSEER to create awareness of jobs available in Saskatchewan. (Estevan Mercury, February 15, 2012)

WeyburnThe El Rancho Restaurant is closing their doors in the city. (Weyburn Review, February 8, 2012)

WawotaMoose Mountain Meats, a new meat processing plant and retail outlet, has opened. The business is the result of a co-operative effort by the community and surrounding district. (Kipling Citizen, February 10, 2012)

Moose Jaw Region

Moose JawThe local Thunder Creek Pork plant will be undergoing a $4 to $5 million dollar renovation which will switch its processing application. Instead of shutting down, the plant is going to reduce the days each week in which the plant operates, with renovations occurring on the off days. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, February 16, 2012)

The Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Moose Jaw, and Mayor Glenn Hagel are discussing a possible destination marketing fee. It is a fee placed on hotel room bills with the funds used to support the tourism industry which would in turn increase hotel customers. The Economic Development Commission has contracted to have a tourism consultant develop a proposal, let local hotels look at it and then facilitate a discussion about destination marketing fees. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, Thursday, February 16, 2012)

North Battleford Region

BattlefordKramer Caterpillar will be constructing a new facility in Battleford. It will be a full parts and service facility of about 40,000 square feet. The decision to locate a new facility in Battleford was based on the reality that the current North Battleford location is over-utilized and short of space. The business services the ever growing oil and gas industry in the area. Construction should start this spring and be complete by fall of 2013. (News Optimist, February 15, 2012)

LloydminsterLabix Store for second chance clothing held a grand opening. (Meridian Booster, January 20, 2012)

MaidstoneCurl Up and Dye Shop, owned by Desiree Blanchette, has opened at a new location. Blanchette recently purchased the former flower and gift shop and has incorporated a new flower shop, Petal Pushers, into the salon. (Regional Optimist, February 17, 2012)

North BattlefordPenningtons has closed at the Frontier Mall. (North Battleford Regional Office, February 8, 2012)

North Battleford’s population is now 13,888, up from 13,190 in 2006; and Battleford’s population is now 4,065, up from 3,685 in 2006, according to the first set of 2011 Statistics Canada census figures. (Daily News Online, February 9, 2012)

The City of North Battleford has hired a new Director of Finance to lead, manage and administer all financial services. Matthew Hartney and his wife will move to North Battleford from Ottawa. (City of North Battleford, February 10, 2012)

Tombi Uniforms & Scrubs has opened in downtown North Battleford. The business is owned by Ilse Moolman. (Regional Office, February 13, 2012)

The Battlefords and District Co-operative Aquatics Centre has a substantial completion date of late March with a likely opening before the end of May. Completion of the curling rink is slated for June while the field house completion is estimated to be September. Delays for the theatre will be pushed back to April 30. (News Optimist, January 25, 2012)

Glencoe Developments INC, a Lloydminster based developer, held a sod-turning event for a new 21 unit condo project. The Head Start on a Home program promotes affordable housing for first time home owners with a $5,000 grant from the city as a down payment. The buyer must have a household income of $65,000 to qualify. (News Optimist, January 25, 2012)

The Fund Raising Committee for the CUplex has now reached $9.3 million of the $10 million goal. The four facility complex is targeted to be completed by end of 2012. (Daily News Online, January 31, 2012)

Anthony Edgington, from Victoria, British Columbia has been named general manager of the new Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts. Mr. Edgington commenced work the beginning of February. (News Optimist, February 1, 2012)

Paradise HillManestream Salon has opened in Paradise Hill. The owner is Joelle Pollock. (St Walburg & Area Gazette, February 8, 2012)

UnityThe town welcomed a new contractor. Mike Welter, a former Unity resident, decided to relocate from Toronto back to Unity and has established his own contracting business. (Press-Herald, February 13, 2012)

WilkieDome Improvement and Flower You held a grand opening. (Press-Herald, February 13, 2012)

Prince Albert Region

Prince AlbertThe Diefenbaker Bridge’s weight limit was increased to 47,000 kilograms (kg) on February 14th. The increase comes over five months after a 15,000 kg weight limit was instated on Diefenbaker Bridge traffic in a response to a crack found in the bridge. Monitoring of repairs is ongoing, if all goes well, the bridge’s weight restrictions will be restored to its original limit of 63,500 kg in the early weeks of March. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, February 14, 2012)

As of February 1st, Dwight Bergstrom is the new executive director for the Prince Albert Tourism and Marketing Bureau. Bergstrom replaces Debbie Honch who had been in the position for seven years. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, February 11 and 9, 2012)

The Petro-Canada on 6th Avenue East will soon become reserve land. Once it is converted it will become the fourth urban reserve in Prince Albert. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) will be the administrator of the land. PBCN already has three other urban reserves within the city, Northern Lights Casino, the Petro-Canada on Second Avenue West, and the site of the PBCN offices across form Victoria Hospital. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, February 9, 2012)

Porcupine PlainThe Porcupine Plain Economic Development Committee and the local Small Business Loans Co-operative is offering a small, interest free loan to businesses to improve their storefronts. (Parkland Review, January 27, 2012)

Regina Region

Fort Qu’AppelleThe Hudson Bay Company recently announced that the Fields outlet in Fort Qu’Appelle will be closing. There is no indication at this time of the date of closure. (The Fort Qu’Appelle Times, February 7, 2012)

Darren Brooks of the Valley Grocer has announced the business will be closing its doors on February 29th. (The Fort Qu’Appelle Times, February 14, 2012)

ReginaA combined investment of over $800,000 by the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan will help the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) and the University of Regina (U of R) study innovative recovery methods for oil and gas production, as well as reclamation of associated by-products. The research will focus on three clean technology projects that could increase efficiency of oil and gas production, and reduce its environmental impact. With this funding, the U of R will purchase and install laboratory equipment to develop new membranes and filtration systems to decontaminate produced water, a by-product from oil and gas production. The PTRC will oversee two related projects. It will refurbish a separator unit and constructed field test trailer units to sample produced water in field locations for reclamation and re-use, potentially in agricultural irrigation or other industries. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, January 27, 2012)

The City of Regina issued $37.9 million in building permits last month, which is less than half of the $95.1 million in permits issued in January 2011; however, the actual number of permits is up by 19 year to year. January 2012 saw about 6 permits for projects over $1 million, including $7.3 million to the City of Regina for new storage tanks on Pasqua Street North, two permits totaling $4.8 for Centre Square luxury condominium project on Broad Street, two permits totaling $2.2 million to Sky Harbour Developments for apartment buildings in Tutor Court. Other permits include Flynn Equipment Rentals for $1.2million for a new office building on Solomon Drive and Narland Properties for retail alterations at Victoria Square Mall East Victoria for $1.2 million. (Leader Post, February 3, 2012)

According to the Association of Regina Realtors, there were 249 sales reported during the month of January, up 14 per cent from 218 sales in January 2011. The average price in Regina area was $284,744, a new high for January and an increase of 10 per cent from $258,599 recorded in 2011. There were $70.9 million in sales reported in the Regina area, an increase of 26 per cent over the previous record of $56.4 million set in 2011. (Leader Post, February 3, 2012)

Regina’s City Hall is one step closer to getting a revised look, after a $5 million infrastructure upgrade recommendation was approved. In addition to fire sprinklers on the first floor, upgrades could involve hiring an additional security staff member, more security cameras on the first floor, and addition to the front of the building for visitor seating. (Leader Post, February 8, 2012)

Fujitsu Canada has acquired TMC, a business and information technology consulting firm based in Regina. TMC employs 70 professionals and offers services in the areas of project management, management consulting, business analysis, application development delegated management and service desks. It is expected that Fujitsu will give TMC preferred access to world class experts and products which will allow expansion of their business. Fujitsu Limited, the world’s third largest IT services provider, is the leading Japanese ICT company with more than 170,000 employees in more than 100 countries. (Leader Post, February 8, 2012)

Housing starts in the Regina area reached 277 units in January, more than double the 127 starts during the same period last year, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (Leader Post, February 9, 2012)

Plans are moving forward for a new school building in north central Regina. The pre-kindergarten to grade 8 school will be built on the former Herchmer Community School site. Plans for the school show an open-plan concept with large windows and skylights. (Leader Post, February 11, 2012)

Saskatoon Region

MLS realtor sales in Saskatoon were up 20 per cent in January compared to January 2011 numbers. A total of 310 units were sold while there were 528 residential listings in Saskatoon. Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors executive director said if the supply of product continues to remain consistent with last year, and if the anticipated increase in demand occurs, the city will remain in a sellers' market with buyers competing for purchases. (Star Phoenix, February 7, 2012)

In January, 14,717 job vacancies were posted to SaskJobs.ca, an increase of 44 per cent over January 2010, according to a Government of Saskatchewan news release. There were 931,372 visits to the site in January. More than 61 per cent of jobs posted last month were full-time positions with positions being posted in 316 communities in Saskatchewan. (Star Phoenix, February 8, 2012)

Michael Chubb will be planting seeds of entrepreneurial spirit among faculty and students of the College of Agriculture and Bio Resources and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, hoping some will grow thriving companies one day. Chubb, a local life sciences business veteran, has been named entrepreneur in-residence for 2012 by the University of Saskatchewan Industry Liaison Office, in conjunction with the two colleges. The entrepreneur-in residence program aims to create collaboration among businesses and the university, and help commercialize University of Saskatchewan researchers' know-how and technology. (Star Phoenix, February 8, 2012)

Development should remain strong in Saskatoon across all commercial real estate sectors in 2012, says a new real estate forecast by Colliers International. The president of Colliers McClocklin Real Estate Corp., said the vacancy in all asset classes will remain low in 2012, rental rates will be stable or even rise and development will continue in industrial, retail and office sectors. (Star Phoenix, February 9, 2012)

The growth of Saskatoon’s suburban bedroom communities is outpacing the city, underscoring the need for regional cooperation. The results of the 2011 census released confirm what many in Saskatoon already instinctively understand. Saskatoon and the surrounding region are the driving force behind the province turnaround. (Star Phoenix, February 9, 2012)

Saskatchewan's oilpatch continues to attract interest and investors, as the first sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights for 2012 generated $28.7 million in revenue for the province. That number also brought total land sale revenues for the 2011-12 fiscal year to $234.1 million. (Star Phoenix February 10, 2012)

Swift Current Region

BiggarBiggar Diamond Lodge recently received a generous donation from Springwater Snow Plow Group which will assist in providing basic equipment for the new facility and enhance the quality of life opportunities for the residents in the new home design and model of care. (The Independent, February 13, 2012)

EastendAiming to create a one-stop spa shop, Stephanie Morris recently purchased the Eastend Medical Clinic and amalgamated her hairdressing business and her mother’s gift store under one roof. Visitors to the shop can enjoy an eclectic collection of baby and children’s gift items, jewellery, purses, scarves and freshly roasted coffee. She also offers staff trained in aesthetics like hair dressing, nail art, raindrop and essential massage therapy. (The Shaunavon Standard, February 14, 2012)

ElroseA new daycare center is being considered on the school grounds in Elrose. A proposal was presented at a recent School Board meeting discussing goals, facility plans, financial overview and regulations. (The Press Review, February 7, 2012)

EstonThe Prairie Centre Credit Union will be relocating with in the next year. They have purchased two lots on the west side of the 100 block of Main Street to build a new branch office. (The Press Review, February 7, 2012)

KyleTony and Danny Hannouch, owners of the Villa on Main, are open for business. (The Kyle Times, February 2, 2012)

Maple CreekA new milestone has been made in the progress towards the new integrated health care facility in the Southwest. The Cypress Health Region board has approved the schematic design. This includes a chapel, although the on-site laundry room remains an outstanding issue. (Maple Creek News, February 2, 2012)

Swift CurrentSwift Current announced a 6.1 per cent increase in population in 2011. The population rose from 16,533 in 2006 to 17,535 in 2011. (www.swbooster.com, February 8, 2012)

Red Head and JD Ag Tech will join 20 other Saskatchewan businesses in Ireland for a job fair coming up in March. Their hope is to meet some of the labor market demand by offering 275 job opportunities to the people of Ireland. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, February 8, 2012)

The city has just released an additional 30 lots for development in Highland subdivision. In Swift Current, 2011 was the second highest year for building permits in the city’s history. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, February 9, 2012)

Bell Mobility is holding their grand opening in the Swift Current Mall. (www.swbooster.com, February 9, 2012)

Café Central located in the heart of downtown Swift Current, is the new bistro themed restaurant featuring coffee and espresso from JJ Bean Inc. The menu includes drinks, tasty appetizers and a good cup of coffee. Owner, John Neate, is a third generation coffee entrepreneur with a popular chain of ten stores originating in Vancouver. (The Southwest Booster Smart Edition, February 16, 2012)

Yorkton Region

EsterhazyBoombata Homes of Esterhazy have completed the plans for a housing/condominium complex on Fifth Avenue between Babyak Street and St. Mary Street. It will consist of four 1,300 square foot homes on each corner with four 900 square foot and eleven 1,200 square foot condos on the sides. Each unit will have a garage and access to a landscaped courtyard in the centre of the complex. Boombata have already started work on their 12-plex unit, Deerwood Development. (The Miner-Journal, Esterhazy, February 13, 2012)

GlenavonAdelard and Doreen Perras, owners of Perras Family Foods, celebrated 35 years in business in February. (The World-Spectator, Moosomin, February 13, 2012)

GrenfellCommercial real estate is busy with several changes and one new business. Lorraine Gudmundson has sold her business Front Avenue Florals to Rhonda Kappell. Vicki Schnurr is leasing Rosie’s Restaurant and operating it as Vickie’s on 1. Tom Elliott is the new owner of The Water Shop, and Allan Wong and Louise Li took over Lygouriatis Family Restaurant. A new restaurant will soon be opened by Brian Ashfield. (The Grenfell Sun, February 6, 2012)

KamsackThe Fields store will be closing by the fall of 2012 according to an announcement by the Hudson’s Bay Company. (Kamsack Times, February 16, 2012)(Leader Post, February 9, 2012)

The board of directors of the Yorkton Co-operative Association Ltd. announced a new grocery store will be built on the corner of Third Avenue and Queen Elizabeth Boulevard. Construction of the 10,800 square foot store will begin June 1, 2012. (Kamsack Times, February 16, 2012)

MelvilleMelville’s Fields Store will be closing its doors. The Hudson Bay Company (HBC) plans to close all 141 stores operating under the Fields Banner. The HBC have stated they are closing all 141 Fields outlets across the country to focus on growing their other banner stores. There are Fields store in 21 locations in the province. (The Melville Advance, February 8, 2012; Leader Post, February 9, 2012)

WhitewoodThe merger of Whitewood and Borderland Co-operatives memberships took place February 1, 2012, bringing the end to the 72 year existence of the Whitewood Co-operative. The store in Whitewood will remain open with no change in staff, only more programs and community support for its members. The new Borderland Co-operative, with stores in Whitewood, Moosomin, Rocanville and Maryfield, consists of 6,150 members, has $18.3 million in assets and employs approximately 180 people. (The Whitewood Herald, February 6, 2012)

YarboThe Yarbo Rooming House celebrated its grand opening recently, with a tour and refreshments. The old Yarbo Rink was renovated into a rooming house by owner Dean Bell and family. (The Miner-Journal, Esterhazy, February 13, 2012)

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan led the nation in the growth of building permit values last year, posting a 25 per cent increase over 2010, outpacing the 1.7 per cent national increase, according to Statistics Canada. Building permits totaled $2.6 billion in 2011, the highest on record in the province, beating the previous record of $2.2 billion in 2008. Saskatchewan also ranked first in annual growth rates of both residential and non-residential building permits. Non-residential building permits increased by 26.3 per cent in 2011, while residential permits were up by 24.5 per cent. (Leader Post, February 8, 2012)

Saskatchewan’s motor vehicle sales continued to climb at the close of 2011, with the latest reports from Statistics Canada showing sales in the province jumped by 7.3 per cent in 2011 compared with 2010. This was the second highest percentage increase in Canada. Compared month to month, Saskatchewan’s new vehicle sales were up 5.3 per cent between December 2011 and November 2011, coming in first among the provinces in percentage change. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, February 14, 2012)

Estevan/Weyburn Region

EstevanConstruction on the 44,000 square foot, $14 million Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute (SETI) remains on schedule. The substantial completion date is October 31, 2011, for the facility which is located in Glen Peterson Industrial Park. (Estevan Mercury, July 27, 2011; Pipeline News, August 2011)

The City of Estevan is set to surpass its record of $50.81 million in building permits set in 2010. Through the first six months of 2011, 87 permits with a combined value of $28.5 million were issued. (Estevan Mercury, July 27, 2011)

The official ribbon cutting was held for the Petterson Point condominiums on August 4, 2011. One bedroom units start at $169,000 and two bedroom units start at $196,000. (Estevan Mercury, July 27, 2011)

WeyburnBannerman Park Estates is a new adult condominium project to be built on the old Elgin School grounds. The four storey building will contain 22 – two bedroom homes. (Pipeline News, August 2011)

SoutheastThe June 23 Crop Report indicated that only 44% of the 2011 crop in the southeast has been seeded. This will likely force many producers to seek alternate employment as a means to keep their family farms solvent. (Weyburn Review, June 22, 2011; Saskatchewan Government News Release, June 23, 2011)

The oil patch is recovering after area flooding caused delays in drilling and exploration industry. Instead of the regular six weeks of road bans, many municipalities in the south east experienced up to 14 weeks of road bans. Cenovus was hard hit with about 200 wells shut down due to flooding and road bans. Currently, there are about 50 drilling rigs in the oilfields that surround the Estevan, Stoughton, and Weyburn regions. (Black Gold, July 2011; Estevan Mercury, July 27, 2011)

Moose Jaw Region

GravelbourgJenny Lam is now the new manager of the Snack Shack in Gravelbourg. She took over the business on April 28, 2011. (Gravelbourg Tribune, Monday, July 25, 2011)

North Battleford Region

Cut KnifeSaskTel has expanded its 4G wireless network to the town of Cut Knife and the surrounding area, including highways 21 and 40. (Daily News Online, July 26, 2011)

The Wilbert Store, located 9 kilometers west of Cut Knife closed after many years of service. Joanne Scott took over the business along with her mother Gloria and Dan Panzier in 1983. The store was originally built in 1936. (Highway 40 Courier, July 27, 2011)

LloydminsterAaron’s recently opened in Lloydminster. (Meridian Booster, July 13, 2011)

Lakeland College has revamped and simplified its website for both the Lloydminster and Vermillion campus making it easier for prospective students to navigate through the site. The new site went live July 8, 2011. (Meridian Booster, July 18, 2011)

Saskatchewan and Alberta officially opened a new joint satellite agriculture office in Lloydminster. The Alberta specialist is available on Tuesdays and the Saskatchewan specialist on Thursdays. The office fills a gap left following the closure in 2004 of the Rural Service Centre at Lloydminster. (St. Walburg & Area Gazette, August 3, 2011)

Meadow LakeMeadow Lake Home Hardware owner Don Marsh has delayed plans this year to construct a new 30,000 square foot facility on land purchased for that purpose. The business was denied a water permit by Saskatchewan Environment. Mr. Marsh indicates construction will not go ahead now until next year pending the City and the Rural Municipality resolving issues of annexation and water. (Northern Pride & Meadow Lake Progress, August 2, 2011)

North BattlefordThe City issued 18 building permits last month for projects worth a total of $2,951,500. During June last year, the City issued 16 building permits for projects worth a total of $1,258,000. (Daily News Online, July 26, 2011)

Building Plans: Living Sky School Division will build a $3.3 Million, 13,650 square foot bus facility and maintenance shop on the east side of existing office as well as a new $1.2 Million, 4,071 square foot office to the west side of the existing facility. (City of North Battleford, July 25, 2011)

Northern Nursery owner Judy Dwinnel will be relocating her business to a new and larger location next spring. The new greenhouse will include a teahouse called “Dots”. (News Optimist, August 3, 2011)

UnityNorth West Terminal Ltd. is moving forward with plans to install a water and heat-recover scrubber system (WHRS) on its dryer at Unity later this fall. The system is expected to reduce the company’s water consumption by 100,000 litres per year and also reduce any potential nuisance odours created during the drying process. Cost of the system is estimated to be $250,000. (Unity Herald, July 25, 2011)

The Unity Co-op held a grand re-opening of the new C-store. (Unity Herald, August 1, 2011)

Prince Albert Region

Emma LakeSunset Bay Restaurant, formerly known as the The Beach House Family Restaurant at Emma Lake, is being leased by Jaklin MacGregor, owner and manager of Persia Bistro in Prince Albert. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, July 25, 2011)

Fort a la Corne and NipawinThe Shore Gold Diamond mine will need to clear more than 4,000 hectares or 40 square kilometres of forest to start construction on the plant. Quality wood will be sold to a milling plant. The rest of the wood which is usually waste will be sent to Nipawin Biomass Ethanol New Generation Co-operative. Agreements between the two parties need to be settled on the amount of wood that can be shipped, when it can be shipped, and what price to set. The Ethanol plant needs about 200,000 dried, metric tonnes of cellulosic fibre. (Parkland Review, July 15, 2011)

Hudson BayThe Government of Saskatchewan announced that it would be investing an estimated $2.6 million in the Hudson Bay airport. The money is being provided to improve the runway, taxi-ways and aprons. The upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-September. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, August 4, 2011)

SaskTel is in the process of expanding its full-featured digital Max entertainment television service and high-speed internet service to Nipawin. The services are expected to be launched in Nipawin during October or November 2011. (The Nipawin Journal, July 27, 2011)

Prince AlbertOn August 3, 2011, the official re-opening of the pulp mill was celebrated with the unveiling of its new sign, Prince Albert Pulp Incorporated. Paper Excellence, the company that bought the mill, which was shut down in 2006, is in the process of converting the facility to produce a different kind of pulp that will be used in products like food additives, shaving gel and rayon. There are currently 20 people working at the mill and 10 more expected to be hired by the end of the month. Once the conversion is complete the pulp mill expects to create 250 full time jobs. The opening of the mill is anticipated to be in late September or October 2012. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, August 4, 2011)

On July 26, 2011, RBC Royal Bank held a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of their new branch in the Cornerstone Mall. The RBC Cornerstone branch manager is Shaun Hay. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, July 27, 2011)

As of July 20, 2011, Perry Trusty is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce. Trusty replaces former CEO Bergen Price, who resigned last month. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, July 23, 2011)

TisdaleWood Country Castle is celebrating the opening of its Tisdale location on August 4, 5 and 6, 2011. (The Parkland Review, July 29, 2011)

SaskTel Max is officially available in Tisdale. Tisdale is the 21st community in Saskatchewan to receive the SaskTel Max service. (The Tisdale Recorder, August 3, 2011)

Gordon’s Repair Shop closed after 35 years of service to the community. The owners of the business were Gordon and Bernice Barnett. (The Tisdale Recorder, July 27, 2011)

Stitch This Upholstery is the new name of Knuff Upholstery recently purchased by Lisa and Duane Doerksen. The previous owners were Kathy and (late) Bill Knuff. (Parkland Review, July 15, 2011)

Regina Region

ReginaRegina Transit is celebrating 100 years of service. (Leader Post, July 26, 2011)

Residential real estate sales in the Regina area remained steady in July but were down after two record setting months, according to the Association of Regina Realtors. There were 330 sales during July in Regina, up five per cent from 2010. May and June were two exceptional months with over 400 sales taking place. (Leader Post, August 4, 2011)

Saskatoon Region

SaskatoonSaskatoon resale home prices are expected to rise by seven per cent in the next 12 months, says the Conference Board of Canada's metropolitan resale index released July 27, 2011. Resale home prices in Saskatoon averaged $310,484 in June 2011. Sales were up 16 per cent year-over-year to 3,936 in June 2011 from 3,396 in June 2010. (Star Phoenix July 28, 2011)

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. is beginning to see the payoff in investing billions of dollars in expanding its production facilities. With global demand for food rising and worldwide supplies of potash tightening, the firm's CEO said the company has positioned itself to benefit from a growing need for its namesake nutrient. It is estimated that from now through 2015, PotashCorp product will account for half of all the new potash capacity expected to come on line around the world. (Star Phoenix July 29, 2011)

Home sales in Saskatoon rose by 13 per cent in July 2011, climbing to 403 from 356 in July 2010, according to the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors. (Star Phoenix August 3, 2011)

The Saskatchewan Abilities Council is set to receive funding to help dozens of people with varying disabilities find employment in Saskatoon. The federal government, through its opportunity fund for persons with disabilities, is giving more than $89,000 to the Council. (Star Phoenix August 5, 2011)

Swift Current Region

Gull LakeGull Lake will celebrate “100 Years of Community Pride” throughout Centennial Weekend August 5-7. (The Gull Lake Advance, August 3, 2011)

KindersleyThe Kindersley Airport received a much needed facelift, including the refacing of the runways and the access road to Highway 21. (The Clarion, July 20, 2011)

LeaderVern and Joanne Scheider, former owners of the Leader IGA, thank their loyal customers over the past 36 years. The new owners, D.J. and Jenna Park, took over August 1, 2011. (The Leader News, August 3, 2011)

ShaunavonThe Canalta Group and the Town of Shaunavon have confirmed that a development agreement has been reached to develop a new Canalta Hotel. It is expected to cost approximately $8 million and will be on the southwest corner of Highway 37 and Third Avenue. Construction will begin in October 2011 with a scheduled opening of August 2012 and will employ up to 20 people. (The Shaunavon Standard, August 3, 2011)

Swift CurrentThe ground was broken on the new Home Inn and Suites which will be built north of the Living Sky Casino along Battleford Trail. The project is expected to take nine months to complete. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, July 23, 2011)

Work will begin on a new landfill for Swift Current. The new site will be located approximately 10 kilometers northwest of the city. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, July 26, 2011)

The City held a public consolation on the new proposed integrated facility to be built around the new hospital. This project could include one Public and one Catholic school, and various City services like a community pool, field house, urban trail system, art gallery and public library. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, July 27, 2011)

The new Cypress Motors location will be opening August 8, 2011. The new home will be located on the South Service Road, beside the Pioneer Coop Agro Centre. (The Southwest Booster Smart Edition, July 28, 2011)

Crescent Point’s Swift Current office opened on January 1, 2011. The initial 5,000 square foot space will be doubling by November. The company has over 60 employees locally and hundreds more through various contractors, drilling rigs, service rigs and suppliers. (Pipeline News, August 2011)

Yorkton Region

MelvilleBrian and Shannon Tressel have opened “Cozy Nest”, a private executive guesthouse, offering a rental alternative for Melville residents for special occasions, or visitors in the city. (The Melville Advance, August 3, 2011)

WakawThe Town of Wakaw held their Centennial Celebrations on July 29 – 31, 2011. (The Wakaw Recorder, July 27, 2011)

YorktonThe 56th Annual Threshermen’s Show and Senior’s Festival took place on July 30 and 31, 2011. (The News Review, Yorkton, July 21, 2011)

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan urban housing starts were up 33 per cent in June 2011 over June 2010, the highest percentage increase among the provinces. Single family dwellings were up 6 per cent while multiple units increased substantially, up 87 per cent. In the first six months of 2011, urban housing starts are up 38 per cent in Saskatchewan, the largest percentage rate improvement in Canada. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, July 11, 2011)

Between April 2011 and May 2011, manufacturing sales were up by 8.6 per cent, the highest percentage increase among the provinces, well above the 0.8 per cent decline experienced on a national basis. On an annual basis, sales were up 16 per cent, the second highest improvement in the nation while nationally, sales were up only 4 per cent. Sales increases were contributed to a rise in sales in the chemical industry. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, July 15, 2011)

Saskatchewan is leading the country in new motor vehicle sales, while a new Statistics Canada report shows that the rest of the country is experiencing a decline. Saskatchewan was the only province to see an increase from April 2011 to May 2011, up 1.7 per cent. Nationally, sales declined on average by 6.1 per cent. In May 2011, Saskatchewan’s new motor vehicle sales were up 11.8 per cent over May 2010, the highest percentage increase among the provinces and well above the 3.2 per cent decline recorded on a national basis. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, July 18, 2011)

In May 2011, wholesale trade in Saskatchewan was up 26.4 per cent when compared to May 2010, the largest rise among the provinces. Trade increased by 7.9 per cent nationally over the same period. On a monthly basis, trade improved by 7.3 per cent, the second highest percentage in the nation, and well ahead of the 1.9 per cent recorded for the national average. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, July 20, 2011)

Saskatchewan retail sales were up 7.6 per cent in May 2011, when compared with the previous year. That is almost double the national average of 4.0 per cent for the same period and just below the 7.8 per cent recorded by Alberta. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, July 22, 2011)

Estevan/Weyburn Region

EstevanBaba’s Bistro is now open serving specialty food such as perogies, ribs, cabbage rolls and borsch. DeeDee Chomyk is the owner. (Estevan Lifestyles, June 17, 2011; http://www.babas-bistro.com/id1.html)

Another work camp is looking to set up in the Rural Municipality of Estevan near the city. The camp would be capable of housing up to 148 people and filling the need for oilfield workers as well as the workers for the new clean coal project going on at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam power station. (Estevan Mercury, June 15, 2011)

The Estevan Business Excellence Award (EBEX) ceremony was held this year for the first time in fifteen years. Wilhelm Construction won Business of the Year while owner Nathan Wilhelm was named Entrepreneur of the Year; Spectra Credit Union was recognized as one of southeast Saskatchewan’s top corporate citizens with two awards, Best Community Involvement and Most Outstanding Service; Kelly Lafrentz, owner of Kelly Lafrentz Trucking and Border Tanks Rentals, was named Business Leader of the Year; Justin Marcotte, owner of Organic Farmer Boy, was named the Environmental Leader of the Year; and Trent’s Tire won the award for New Business Venture of the Year. Inducted into Estevan Business Hall of Fame were long time business owners, Nick and Verna Morsky, Ron Wanner and Walter Senchuk. (Estevan Mercury, June 22, 2011; Estevan Lifestyles, June 23, 2011)

Moose Jaw Region

Moose JawAs part of a Federation of Canadian Municipalities partnership with the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Moose Jaw’s Mayor Glenn Hagel is heading to Dnipropetrovsk, Oblast this weekend with Barry Gunther of South Central Enterprise Region, to discuss the Friendly City’s approach to economic development in conjunction with its surrounding economic region. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, June 10, 2011)

Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Moose Jaw War Memorial are two Moose Jaw projects among 11 provincially receiving recognition at the Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan’s event. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, June 14, 2011)

This week, Don Howe, franchise owner of both Moose Jaw’s Tim Horton’s coffee shops, has renovated the Tim Horton’s store located at Diefenbaker Drive to include Cold Stone Creamery products. Ice cream cones, cakes, pies, cupcakes and sandwiches will all be available. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, June 18, 2011)

With a cutting of the ribbon, Mayor Glenn Hagel enthusiastically welcomed the recently upgraded Moose Jaw Wastewater Treatment Plant to the city and its residents. According to Hagel, most of the $26 million in plant upgrades were funded by the City of Moose Jaw, although about $10 million came from federal and provincial sources. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, June 23, 2011)

OutlookMidSask Enterprise Region in Outlook has re-located. Their office is still in Outlook but is now downtown on Saskatchewan Avenue West. A grand re-opening will be held later this summer. (Holly Vollmer, MidSask ER, June 2011)

A pipeline maintenance project in the MidSask Region has brought with it a huge increase in the local population. Workers with Enbridge Pipelines Inc. and Alberta based company, Ledcor, will be here over the summer to ensure the existing pipeline that runs through the area is properly maintained. Up to 200 pipeline workers will be in the region with many still looking for accommodations. (Holly Vollmer, MidSask ER, June 2011)

North Battleford Region

North BattlefordInnovation Credit Union has announced their new CEO. Daniel Johnson is relocating from Alberta and will be based in Swift Current. (Regional Optimist, June 17, 2011)

A new walk-in clinic has opened at the Frontier Mall in conjunction with CBI Physical Rehabilitation Centre. CBI Health Centre opened in June for a four-month pilot period to operate as a walk-in clinic from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. During regular working hours, the facility will provide physiotherapy services. Seven local physicians have signed on to provide the after hours service to alleviate some of the pressure from the emergency room at the hospital. (Regional Optimist, June 24, 2011)

SportChek has opened in the Frontier Mall in the Battlefords. The grand opening event runs until the end of June. (Regional Optimist, June 24, 2011)

Ultra Print Services is expanding and hope to have the renovations completed by the end of June. The business purchased the former JEM Home Improvement Building last year and will locate their management, graphic design and customer service personnel to the new location which consists of 12 of their 22 employees. The current facility will then house only the press, pre-press and bindery personnel, and the new state-of-the-art press. (Regional Optimist, June 24, 2011)

Prince Albert Region

Prince AlbertThe new Co-operative opened its doors to a large crowd. After a long five-year process the Prince Albert Co-operative and Marketplace closed the downtown location and reopened in the new Cornerstone location, instantly resulting in overflowed parking lots and long cashier line ups. A grand opening for the new Co-op has officially kicked off. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 11, 2011 and June 18, 2011)

Construction on the east side of Prince Albert is continuing to transform what once was an empty field into an array of banks, restaurants and grocery stores. On the south side, the new Prince Albert Co-operative food store, which moved from its downtown core, recently opened. Restaurants including Original Joes and Fat Burger have also been announced for the Cornerstone area and a Michaels craft store is in the works. (The Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 14, 2011)

A search has begun for the next CEO of the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce as Bergen Price announced his resignation recently. He will leave his position at the chamber at the end of July. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 14, 2011)

North Central Enterprise Region, in partnership with the City of Prince Albert and Enterprise Saskatchewan, would like to announce a new initiative to attract and retain people and investment to the region. Rainmaker Global Business Development, a company specializing in leading edge economic development and direct investment services, has been selected to guide the implementation of a lead management and outcall program. It is expected that this initiative will lead to new foreign contacts, potential investors and project partners within the City of Prince Albert and surrounding region. (News Release June13, 2011; Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 17, 2011)

The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is getting underway on a new project. They have the tender out for a Support Services Centre, a new facility that will house their accounting, human resources, purchasing and technical services departments. The new Support Services Centre is expected to take anywhere from one year to 15 months to build and cost approximately $2.2 million. (www.panow.com, June 17, 2011)

The pulp mill hopes to create business relations with local companies. Between 200 and 250 business owners and representatives participated in an open house geared to doing business with the Prince Albert pulp mill. The construction for the conversion of the pulp mill will involve many of the businesses. The pulp mill welcomed the vendors and businesses and notified them of the beginning construction phases. The open house also provided the mill owners with information on what skill sets businesses have to offer. The target for opening the mill is August 31, 2012. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 22, 2011)

Representatives of Shore Gold and Nipawin Biomass Ethanol New Generation Co-operative signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), paving the way for future co-operation between the groups. Under the agreement, Shore Gold will provide waste timber from its mining activities to Nipawin Biomass, which will process and convert the timber to cellulose ethanol at its proposed green fuel facility. Shore Gold is attempting to obtain environmental approval and necessary permits to develop Saskatchewan’s first diamond mine at a site in the Fort a la Corne Forest, about 60 kilometres east of Prince Albert. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 22, 2011)

Regina Region

ReginaKim Simon of 22Fresh was the winner of the Saskatchewan Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (SYPE) Volta Award at the SYPE Silver Spades Awards Gala in June. 22Fresh is known for their unique baseball pants and lifestyle apparel. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, June 13, 2011)

Housing starts were up by nearly 40 per cent in Regina in May, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. There were 116 housing starts in Regina and district, which was up from 83 in May 2010. (Leader Post, June 9, 2011)

Sakundiak Equipment, a grain auger manufacturer, announced the completion of a $12 million expansion at its plant north of Regina. The expansion will accommodate the production of the Swing-Max Pro, the company’s new remote-controlled extending swing auger, which will be launched at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show. Since April, Sakundiak has added 15 employees to its staff of over 100 which is up 30 from two years ago. Also included in the expansion is a new automated powder painting system, which is used to paint grain augers. (Leader Post, June 9, 2011)

Canadian Pacific (CP) announced the Global Transportation Hub will be the future site of the CP freight yards. Construction work on the 300 acre site on the CP railway mainline is scheduled to finish by late 2012. The existing terminal covers only 17 acres. About 100 construction jobs are to be created by this $50 million project. The new terminal will be able to handle about 250,000 container loadings per year; compared with 45, at the present facility. (Leader Post, June 11, 2011)

Regina will host approximately 10,000 athletes, personnel and fans during the 2014 North American Indigenous Games. Most of the $10.35 million budget for the games is provided by the Province of Saskatchewan, the City of Regina and Sport Canada. The event is expected to generate upward of $30 million in economic spin-offs for the city, in service and tourism related industries. (Labour Market Bulletin, June 2011)

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum Conference will be held in the City of Regina in June 2012. The event will attract 500 apprenticeship stakeholders from across the country who will discuss major issues affecting trades. High on the agenda is the imminent shortage of skilled workers over the next decade. (Labour Market Bulletin, June 2011)

Regina Marine celebrated their grand re-opening. The new 9,600 square foot facility boasts both a 6,000 square foot show room and a 3,600 square foot service area. Regina Marine is located just off the TransCanada highway, east of Regina. (Leader Post, June 20, 2011)

The Source, located in the Cornwall Centre, celebrated a grand opening. (Leader Post, June 23, 2011)

Saskatoon Region

Saskatoon's Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (GWMG) will be starting work on a mine shaft at its Steenkampskraal rare earth project in South Africa. The company has chosen East Rand Engineering Services based in South Africa to carry out the project, which is expected to be complete by mid-November. (Star Phoenix, June 10, 2011)

The addition of rental units to the Saskatoon housing market has led to an increase in the region's vacancy rate. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) the average apartment vacancy rate in the city rose to 3.4 per cent this April from 2.1 per cent in April 2010. This, despite the sustained addition of migrants to the city the past year, indicates the effect of new units on the market, according to CMHC. (Star Phoenix,June 10, 2011)

Employment jumped upward in May, with Saskatchewan posting the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Data released by Statistics Canada indicated there were 535,900 people working in Saskatchewan in May, up 2,400 from May 2010. Employment was also up by a seasonally adjusted 2,500 jobs in May 2011 compared to April 2011. (Star Phoenix, June 11, 2011)

Construction will begin on the $5 million Station 20 West project in Saskatoon. Station 20 West, which will be located at 20th Street West and Avenue L, is slated to become home to a co-operative grocery store and a number of tenants including a University of Saskatchewan outreach centre, a Saskatoon Health Region mothers' centre and family support program, CHEP Good Food Inc. and Quint Development Corporation. (Star Phoenix, June 15, 2011)

Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture has announced plans to design its own new office building, a new, five storey structure on Main Street East immediately adjacent to the trendy Broadway Avenue. (Star Phoenix, June 21, 2011)

Swift Current Region

Gull LakeViterra Inc. is pleased to announce the expansion of the Viterra Gull Lake terminal, providing a significant increase to grain handling capacity. Viterra Gull Lake previously offered a 56 rail car facility located on the Canadian Pacific rail line, which has been expanded to 112 car spots to accommodate heavy production in the southwestern Saskatchewan area. Terminal storage capacity has also been increased by 37 percent. (The Shaunavon Standard, June 21, 2011)

Maple CreekNekaneet First Nation and Cypress Park are currently in order to receive 3G service. The installation project will begin within the next month. (Maple Creek News, June 9, 2011)

ShaunavonThe plans are being finalized for the grand opening of the awaited Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre. The celebration is scheduled for July 16th. (The Southwest Booster, June 16, 2011)

Cenovus Energy unveiled plans for an extensive development program that will pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the southwest economy. The Calgary based company plans on maintaining a steady and strong development pace over the next four to five years in the Lower Shaunavon play. Currently Cenovus have 40 horizontal wells and will be drilling another 60 this year. Cenovus also plans to build water disposal facilities and will construct six satellite stations this year. Construction of a main batter site is also set to begin this year and will be completed in 2012. Cenovus will also significantly increase the number of staff working out of the Shaunavon field offices. At the moment there are six employees working out of the community and that number could grow to between 15 and 20 people in the near future. (The Shaunavon Standard, June 21, 2011)

Swift CurrentFor the month of May, there were 33 building permits issued totaling more than $2.4 million. (City of Swift Current, May, 2011)

Beachcomber Hot Tubs and Wheatland Machine Shop is holding their grand opening for the whole month of June. (The Southwest Booster, June 9, 2011)

Village Coffee Tyme will be closing June 30, 2011. (The Southwest Booster, June 9, 2011)

Market Square will open downtown Swift Current. The Swift Current Market Square will provide another reason for residents of Swift Current and surrounding area to visit downtown. (The Southwest Booster, June 23, 2011)

Twenty-four senior housing units being built next to the existing Prairie Pioneers Independent Housing development will enable more seniors to remain in the community, thanks to affordable rent made possible by a three-way partnership between federal and provincial governments and the City of Swift Current. (The Southwest Booster, June 23, 2011)

Yorkton Region

GrenfellRon and Eunice Wolf have closed the doors to Memories Plus, after forty years in business. (The Grenfell Sun, April 4, 2011)

MuensterThe Saskatchewan Stitches Conference took place at St. Peter’s College. Participants at the conference learned skills in many different tactile arts. The conference will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary in 2012. (Humboldt Journal, June 8, 2011)

Saskatchewan

According to Statistics Canada, manufacturing sales slumped in Saskatchewan and most parts of Canada over a one month period, according to a report released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. Sales were down by 5.3 per cent in Saskatchewan in April compared with March, but sales were up in the province by 3.9 per cent in April compared with April of 2010. Across Canada, manufacturing sales were down by 1.3 per cent in the March to April comparison but up by 6.5 per cent in April compared to April of last year. (Leader Post, June 17, 2011)

Statistics Canada reported that the province’s retail sales increased by seven per cent in April 2011 over April 2010, the second highest percentage increase among the provinces, almost double the 3.6 per cent recorded on a national basis. (Enterprise Saskatchewan News Release, June 21, 2011)

Estevan/Weyburn Region

AlamedaFlying E Medical, a company specializing in on site medical attention, has expanded from five employees to 15 in their first year. Owner, Carrie Englot, is in the process of obtaining emergency medical responder (EMR) training and the primary care paramedic (PCP) course. The company has six mobile treatment centres and pickups with fibreglass shell on with two shower units for chemical treatment. (Pipeline News, June 2011)

ArcolaT-45 Bakken Salt Water Disposal Facility has been acquired by CCS Midstream Services of Calgary, Alberta. Plans for future expansion are in the works. (Pipeline News, June 2011)

FrobisherBrothers Devon and Nathan Brandon are the owners of Prairie Gold Pumpjack Service, an oilfield service business recently started. (Pipeline News, June 2011)

MidaleCome On Inn & Suites held a grand opening. The $1.4 million dollar facility consists of 18 rooms geared towards the oil patch traffic. The future expansion plans for the inn are a lounge and another 20 rooms. (Pipeline News, June 2011)

OxbowKen Pedlar, former editor and owner of the Oxbow Herald weekly newspaper, has retired after 37 years with the paper. Owner of the paper is Transcontinental in Saskatoon. (Oxbow Herald, May 30, 2011)

RedversFarmers and business people from the area have formed the Man-Sask Railway (MSRR), a shortline railway company, to look into the feasibility of buying the Canadian Pacific railway line extending from Redvers to Schweitzer, Manitoba. (Oxbow Herald, May 30, 2011)

WeyburnOilman of the Year at the Weyburn 14th annual Oil and Gas Show was Scott Saxberg, president and CEO of Crescent Point Energy. Brent Dunnigan, CEO of Epping Energy Ltd. in Alameda, and Dave Bergum, founder of TS&M Supply in Weyburn, were the recipients of the South East Oilmen of the Year Award. The awards were presented at the recent 2011 Weyburn Oil Show. (Oxbow Herald, June 6, 2011; Estevan Mercury, June 8, 2011; Weyburn Review, June 8, 2011)

Industrial Electric/Comtech held a grand opening for the expansion and renovation of their facility. The Weyburn company employs 40 people. (Weyburn Review, June 8, 2011)

Moose Jaw Region

Central ButteThe community of Central Butte will soon be home to a 100 foot tall wind turbine that will help provide power to the local rink. SaskPower has selected four Saskatchewan communities, Central Butte, Eatonia, Shanuavon and Strasburg, to test the viability of using wind turbines to partially power community owned ice rinks. The 50 kilowatt wind turbine will generate between $4,500 and $10,000 a year worth of power, depending on the wind resources at the site. (Holly Vollmer, MidSask Enterprise Region, June 2011)

ElbowA business in Elbow is now the owner and operator of the Elbow Harbour Marina in Elbow. Cafferata Enterprises Ltd. has leased the marina from the provincial government since 1986 and has now officially purchased it. The plans are to refurbish the marina over the next five years, which includes replacing the main dock sections, finger piers and ramp floats. (Holly Vollmer, MidSask Enterprise Region, June 2011; The Outlook, June 2, 2011)

Moose JawTuesday was the first official day of operation for owners Tim and Tyco Huska’s new restaurant, Kergano’s. Tyco, Tim’s son, stated Kergano’s is based on his family’s background in Ukrainian cuisine, but goes far beyond one genre and features dishes influenced from many different cultures, from America to Spain. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, May 24, 2011)

The Parkview Funeral Chapel in Moose Jaw celebrated their 100th anniversary and held an open house. Tours of the facility were offered and displays were set up showing the history of the business. (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, June 2, 2011)

OgemaThe Ogema Second Hand Store celebrated its second anniversary recently. Since the store opened in 2009 it has brought in just under $42,000, which has been put to good use within the community. The Ogema Boiler fund received $19,000 and other projects such as the play ground equipment and the swimming pool are among projects that have benefited from the funds raised by this store. (The Star, June 9, 2011)

OutlookA long established grocery store in Outlook has undergone major renovations. A.G.Foods, in Outlook since 1984, has installed all new freezers, new tills are coming and the entire store has been completely reorganized. According to owner, Royce Taylor, there is also a larger of selection of grocery items available for their customers. (Holly Vollmer, MidSask Enterprise Region, June 2011)

Whitecap Dakota First NationConstruction is wrapping up on the new health centre on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Health care staff are moving into the new centre over the next couple weeks. (Holly Vollmer, MidSask Enterprise Region, June 2011)

North Battleford Region

LloydminsterCinnamon Twist, Hair, Tanning, & Esthetics, are celebrating their first anniversary at a new location. (Lloydminster Meridian Booster, May 27, 2011)

Meadow LakeThe Prairie North Health region announced over $23 million to increase employment and new investments. Extra funding is expected to create 33 full time positions in the region, while also delivering investment dollars to northwest healthcare facilities. (Northern Pride, May 31, 2011)

RD Gravel & Logging is under new management. (Northern Pride, May 31 2011)

Jonny’s Septic Service, a family owned and operated business, is new to Meadow Lake. (Northern Pride, May 31 2011)

MervinThe Rural Municipality of Mervin is going to celebrate the grand opening of their new Municipal Shop. (St Walburg & Area Gazette, June 8, 2011)

North BattlefordBuilding permits were down in April compared to last year. There were 18 issued for $2,828,000, which is down from 25 issued for the value of $14,185,500 in April 2010. (News Optimist, June 1, 2011)

City council has given its green light to submitting an application for funding under the Main Street Saskatchewan Program. The program helps communities to develop public-private initiatives to revitalize historic commercial areas. (News-Optimist, June 1, 2011)

City Manager, Jim Toye, was elected president of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators for the coming year. (City of North Battleford, May 31, 2011)

Phase 4, a hair salon, held their grand opening in a new location. (Battlefords Chamber of Commerce, June 6, 2011)

The Great Canadian Oil Change, owned by Trent Jordan held its grand opening. (Battlefords Regional Optimist, June 3, 2011)

The grand opening of the new Yellowhead Power Station in North Battleford will be held in June. (Chamber of Commerce, June 6, 2011)

Realty Executives is holding a grand opening in their new office in North Battleford in June. (Battlefords Regional Optimist, June 10, 2011)

UnityThe town of Unity, in partnership with Unity and District Chamber of Commerce, West Central Tourism Region and Tourism Saskatchewan is unveiling it’s 2011 opportUNITY campaign in June. The logo relates to the many opportunities the Town of Unity has to offer from business to tourism to retirement. The partnership will occur in conjunction with the exploresaskatchewan.com campaign. (The Unity Herald, May 30, 2011)

WilkieAn official ribbon cutting ceremony was held by the Wilkie Independent Living Services Inc. for the New Group Home. (The Wilkie Press, June 6, 2011)

Prince Albert Region

Prince AlbertThe Prince Albert Co-operative Association grocery store has closed its doors on the Central Avenue location and re-opened in their new location in the Cornerstone Mall. A grand opening took place. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 6, 2011)

LBR Price Breakers, a unique one of a kind store, is celebrating its grand opening. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, June 1, 2011)

Blockbuster Canada video store in Prince Albert will not be closing its doors, unlike the 146 stores across Canada that are closing. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, May 30, 2011).

TisdaleCornerstone Credit Union officially opened its doors to the public in May and held its grand opening. The new addition of 8,000 square feet and the renovation on the original credit union building cost $4.5 million. Cindy Crowe is manager of the Tisdale Cornerstone Credit Union. (Tisdale Recorder, June 1, 2011)

Regina Region

ReginaMinneapolis based retailer, Target, plans to convert the Zellers store in Regina’s Northgate Mall into a Target Store within the next few years. Target plans to open stores in 105 Canadian locations in all 10 provinces. (Leader Post, May 27, 2011)

Construction on Canterbury Common is underway. Canterbury Common is a 16 unit apartment style condominium complex located on Broad Street. (Leader Post, May 27, 2011)

Blockbuster Canada announced that Regina’s four Blockbuster locations will not be affected by the massive closures occurring across the country next month. (Leader Post, May 28, 2011)

The revitalization of 53 acres in the heart of Regina is closer to becoming a reality after city council voted on Monday to support the first steps involved in the initiative. The plan includes the redevelopment of 33 acres south of Dewdney Avenue, currently used for the Canadian Pacific rail yards, and 20 acres currently occupied by Mosaic Stadium being developed into residential and other properties. The development of the new entertainment facility could begin as early as next year with the building of commercial property around it starting in 2013. The facility would be completed by 2015, followed by construction of housing on the existing stadium site. (Leader Post, May 31, 2011)

The Novia Café, Regina’s oldest restaurant, will be closing in June. There will be no layoffs as a result of the restaurant’s closing; staff will be moving to the Mercury Café, which is located in the Cathedral area and operated by the same owner as the Novia Café. (Leader Post, June 2, 2011)

The Regina Airport Authority has started a $16 million program to rebuild its two main runways. Work has begun and is scheduled to be finished by fall. When completed, the rebuilding project will give the runways another 15 years of life. Graham Construction has been contracted to do the work. (Leader Post, June 3, 2011)

The Ukrainian Co-operative, located on Winnipeg Street, is celebrating their 75th Anniversary. (Leader Post, June 6, 2011)

Sprossil Industries was the winner of the Progress 2 Capital Award for 2011. Eric and Rachel Penner de Waal have created Sprossil Industries to provide simple, easy-to-use building materials that save energy such as the Smart Stud, a hybrid framing member designed to replace conventional 2 x 6 studs, making a home 10 percent more energy efficient. The Smart Stud will reduce costs for builders by utilizing conventional framing methods that reduce training for workers, as well as by allowing electricians to run wire without drilling holes. (Leader Post, June 8, 2011)

The Dynasty Gourmet Asian Buffet, located in the Wingate Hotel, is now open for business. (Leader Post, June 8, 2011)

Saskatoon Region

Minneapolis based retailer Target confirmed plans to convert the Zellers in Saskatoon's Circle Mall into one of its own stores. (Star Phoenix, May 26, 2011)

The Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE) has named the Saskatoon Funeral Home this year's winner of the Family Enterprise of the Year (FEYA) achievement award. The announcement was made in front of more than 180 guests during a gala event at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver. (Star Phoenix, June 1, 2011)

Home buyers in Saskatoon and area had more houses to choose from in May compared to the same month in 2010, with more houses being sold. In May 2011, 423 homes were sold in Saskatoon compared to 351 homes in May 2010, according to a news release issued by Saskatoon Region and Association of Realtors. That's a 21 per cent increase. (Star Phoenix, June 2, 2011)

The value of building permits in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan fell in April, according to a Statistics Canada report. In its monthly building permits report, the federal agency wrote the value of permits in the Saskatoon region fell by 3.3 per cent to $83.8 million in April from $86.7 million in April 2010. Between March and April, the value of building permits in the region rose by 26 per cent from $66.5 million in the third month of the year. Province wide, the value of building permits in Saskatchewan fell by 2.3 per cent between April 2010 and April 2011, dropping to $186.6 million from $190.9 million. Month to month, building permit values in the province fell 1.3 per cent from $189.1 million. (Star Phoenix, June 7, 2011)

Multiple family units are up, single family homes are stable or down and, overall, far more residences have been built so far in 2011 than in 2010, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). In May 2011, construction started on 74 multi family homes, which includes apartments, row housing and semi-detached units, compared to eight such starts in May 2010. Work on single detached houses fell 22.8 per cent to 152 starts last month from 197 in the same month last year. In total, May housing starts rose 10.2 per cent to 226 from 205 a year earlier. (Star Phoenix, June 8, 2011)

Swift Current Region

LeaderConstruction has begun on a new housing duplex in the community. (The Leader News, June 1, 2011)

Al’s Hardware will celebrate its grand opening in June. (The Leader News, June 8, 2011)

ShaunavonShaunavon was selected out of four Saskatchewan communities to be home to a 30 metre high wind turbine as part of a SaskPower demonstration project. (The Shaunavon Standard, May 31, 2011)

Swift CurrentOver 110 professional and business women attended the first ever Women without Borders conference at the Sky Centre held in May. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, May 26, 2011)

Great Plains College celebrated their grand opening in May. They underwent a $13.5 million expansion and renovation project that was jointly funded by the Federal and Provincial Governments. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, May 27, 2011)

The Swift Current Business Excellance Awards were held recently at the Sky Centre. The following are the winners: Swift Shoe Repair and Leather Shoppe - Business of the YearCrutch’s Plumbing and Heating - New BusinessUrban Ground Coffeehouse- Young EntrepreneurKal Tire- Customer ServicePinnacle Financial- Growth and ExpansionCypress Motors- Community InvolvementCowtown – Masterfeeds - SouthwestEt cetera Et cetera- Business Hall of Fame Inductee(Swift Current Regional Office, June 2011)

Yorkton Region

CanoraA local committee is being formed to spearhead the feasibility study phase for a new integrated health facility for the Town of Canora. The study cost is estimated between $100,000 to $150,000, with the facility cost estimated at $40 million. (Canora Courier, June 8, 2011)

Dereck Wolkowski has opened Wolkowski Funeral Services. He also owns Wolkowski Funeral Services in Kamsack. A grand opening took place in June. (Canora Courier, June 8, 2011)

FlemingBrent and Heather Parkin have opened The Extraordinary Light Gallery in Fleming. The gallery displays the photography of Brent Parkin, some giftware for retail, as well as offering specialty coffees and desserts. Although the business is currently open Friday to Sunday, this will occur for one year before the business is open full time. An official opening is expected to take place in July 2011. (The World-Spectator, Moosomin, May 23, 2011)

LaniganCanpotex Railcar Maintenance and Staging Facility held a ground breaking ceremony in May. The facility will cost $55 million to build and is expected to employ 20 full time people. Construction is expected to start in June and conclude in the fall of 2012. (Humboldt Journal, May 25, 2011)

RegionalThe Annual General Meeting of Saskatchewan East Enterprise Region (SEER) took place recently in Yorkton. SEER is looking to fill six open positions on its board of directors. (Yorkton This Week, June 1, 2011)

WhitewoodAfter 35 years in business, Ron and Pat Demofsky of Whitewood Agencies have retired. The agency has been purchased by Andrew Agencies. It is the 13th office that Andrews Agencies has in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The agency specializes in insurance, real estate, general and auto insurance, and MGI financial services and products. (The Whitewood Herald, June 6, 2011)